Sgt_Strider
Senior Member
I've been reading and thinking a lot about cameras lately. Is it just me, or maybe the Sony a7R IV, the best-value full-frame camera on the market?
I got loads of questions to help me understand and assess the capabilities of this camera.
Is the sensor on the a7R IV identical to the one on the a7R V? I get that the V has a more capable processor to get more out of the sensor. I don't necessarily need the speed, but if the image quality is close to being identical at ISO100, then that's huge.
Is ISO32000 usable with the latest NR software like DxO DeepPrime or Adobe Lightroom's AI-powered NR? I would love to see some before and after shots.
I find DPR's review format to be confusing, and it seems to have changed over the years. It's hard to compare the differences in the generation of cameras. I don't see the sensor read speed mentioned in the review. What is the read speed of the 61MP sensor and is it identical between the IV and the V?
I think the V can shoot lossless compressed RAW while the IV can only shoot lossless uncompressed RAW. Did I get that right? I don't want to shoot compressed RAW if it's 12-bit lossy RAW. IIRC, DPR says that shooting at a high frame rate will cause the bit-depth to go from 14-bit to 12-bit. So is it possible to shoot a 5-frame auto exposure bracket 14-bit RAW?
Given the file sizes of the 14-bit RAW, is it worth converting them to DNG with Lightroom? I generally don't use DNG and retain the original RAWs, but I would consider DNG if I decide to get the a7R IV.
I don't see anything in the specs, but is it possible to shoot a seven or even a nine-frame auto exposure bracket? If so, can the entire bracket be shot with 14-bit RAW?
When shooting RAW with the a7R IV, what should I keep in mind to ensure I'm shooting 14-bit lossless RAW all the time?
When shooting RAW with the 1:1 aspect ratio, can I use Adobe Lightroom to recover the excess pixels in the develop module? With my older Sony cameras, this is possible. I don't know about newer Sony cameras.
Sony's marketing for the IV mentioned AI-enhanced AF. Obviously, the V has the better AF. I mainly shoot travel photos and portraits. Is the face and eye AF reliable, especially if I shoot with the Sony 85mm f/1.4 wide open? Is the AF reliable in low light to shoot landscape at f/11 and f/16?
I think it was reported years ago that Sony cameras can't shoot astrophotography due to the stars disappearing. I can't remember the details. Has Sony fixed this? Does this problem affect the IV as well as the V?
When shooting an auto exposure bracket and long exposures, will the a7R IV take a dark frame for long exposure noise reduction?
What is the lifespan of the mechanical shutter? For travel and portraits, is it ok to use EFCS all the time for landscape and portraits to ensure there is no possibility of shutter shock? How is the shutter count calculated when using EFCS? Is the e-shutter capable of shooting 14-bit RAW? Is rolling shutter an issue?
I'm reading that the general interface and touchscreen are "slow." Is it because of the hardware? Is the V noticeable faster than the IV?
Is Sony still developing and updating the firmware for the IV? It's frustrating that Sony abandoned Imaging Edge Mobile for the Creators' App. Has Sony announced any plan to support the IV with the Creators' App?
Is it possible to use the micro-USB port to power the IV and then use the USB-C port to transfer files to the PC without using the battery? If so, how do I set this?
Thanks for the help!
I got loads of questions to help me understand and assess the capabilities of this camera.
Is the sensor on the a7R IV identical to the one on the a7R V? I get that the V has a more capable processor to get more out of the sensor. I don't necessarily need the speed, but if the image quality is close to being identical at ISO100, then that's huge.
Is ISO32000 usable with the latest NR software like DxO DeepPrime or Adobe Lightroom's AI-powered NR? I would love to see some before and after shots.
I find DPR's review format to be confusing, and it seems to have changed over the years. It's hard to compare the differences in the generation of cameras. I don't see the sensor read speed mentioned in the review. What is the read speed of the 61MP sensor and is it identical between the IV and the V?
I think the V can shoot lossless compressed RAW while the IV can only shoot lossless uncompressed RAW. Did I get that right? I don't want to shoot compressed RAW if it's 12-bit lossy RAW. IIRC, DPR says that shooting at a high frame rate will cause the bit-depth to go from 14-bit to 12-bit. So is it possible to shoot a 5-frame auto exposure bracket 14-bit RAW?
Given the file sizes of the 14-bit RAW, is it worth converting them to DNG with Lightroom? I generally don't use DNG and retain the original RAWs, but I would consider DNG if I decide to get the a7R IV.
I don't see anything in the specs, but is it possible to shoot a seven or even a nine-frame auto exposure bracket? If so, can the entire bracket be shot with 14-bit RAW?
When shooting RAW with the a7R IV, what should I keep in mind to ensure I'm shooting 14-bit lossless RAW all the time?
When shooting RAW with the 1:1 aspect ratio, can I use Adobe Lightroom to recover the excess pixels in the develop module? With my older Sony cameras, this is possible. I don't know about newer Sony cameras.
Sony's marketing for the IV mentioned AI-enhanced AF. Obviously, the V has the better AF. I mainly shoot travel photos and portraits. Is the face and eye AF reliable, especially if I shoot with the Sony 85mm f/1.4 wide open? Is the AF reliable in low light to shoot landscape at f/11 and f/16?
I think it was reported years ago that Sony cameras can't shoot astrophotography due to the stars disappearing. I can't remember the details. Has Sony fixed this? Does this problem affect the IV as well as the V?
When shooting an auto exposure bracket and long exposures, will the a7R IV take a dark frame for long exposure noise reduction?
What is the lifespan of the mechanical shutter? For travel and portraits, is it ok to use EFCS all the time for landscape and portraits to ensure there is no possibility of shutter shock? How is the shutter count calculated when using EFCS? Is the e-shutter capable of shooting 14-bit RAW? Is rolling shutter an issue?
I'm reading that the general interface and touchscreen are "slow." Is it because of the hardware? Is the V noticeable faster than the IV?
Is Sony still developing and updating the firmware for the IV? It's frustrating that Sony abandoned Imaging Edge Mobile for the Creators' App. Has Sony announced any plan to support the IV with the Creators' App?
Is it possible to use the micro-USB port to power the IV and then use the USB-C port to transfer files to the PC without using the battery? If so, how do I set this?
Thanks for the help!
